Trailing Off....: India Hill Stations: Part 2

After living in a tropical place so long and spending most holidays near the sea, I longed for mountains and cool-scented pine air. And after being in Darjeeling, I longed for sunshine and a view. And what I wanted most of all, was to feel like I was in Europe but without European prices.

sunrise

The bus journey from Chandigarh was a sweaty 5 hour bone rattling, try-not-to-puke-thrill ride. Another taxi ride later we were at our homestay a few kilometres from the main town. The place was bigger than most of the apartments we've lived in and had a spectacular view.

view from the balcony at our homestay

Unfortunately, it was a long jaunt to the bus stand and a crammed bus ride to the top of the mountain where the Mall Road was located.

this bus will stuff in at least another 20 people in the next few minutes

Highlights

The Hawks and the Trees

The clean smell of pine was everywhere and overtook the usually pervasive scent of curry that is permanently in the air. The trees were magnificent and made all the more beautiful by the hawks who circled above.

not a soul in sight

A Proper Dive Pub

I've always preferred pubs that appear to be haunts of the shady and addicted. Old worn benches, cigarette burned carpets, and patrons entirely focused on the task at hand. There was nothing trendy or hip about this place but there was a great view and the beer was cold.

it was a long day of walking

Britishness

This was a town the Brits went to escape the heat and grime of Delhi and I wanted to feel the charm they left behind. On the main tourist road called The Mall, most of the buildings fit the bill. Walking through this area, one forgets that they are in India, which I'm sure, was the intended consequence.

This Little School on the Hill

S is not a big fan of the prepaid "day tour" that includes getting carted from one place to the next in a bus with a bunch of slow people with cameras. But I persuaded him to do one that went to some surrounding towns and since we didn't have a car or bike to do it ourselves, he agreed. The tour stopped outside an orchard for approximately 42 seconds, stopped at hotel for 30 minutes, an ugly dried out golf course, and breezed through several small towns. All the stops included horses for rent and a restaurant. At the golf course stop we broke away from the group and explored a bit. I was delighted to find this little school and see a classroom with grammar posters. It was the redeeming moment of the tour for me.

better than no school

Lowlights

Sucktacular Wine

I was very excited by the thought of local wine, but I should have remembered Amana wine. If you're from Iowa, you'll know what I mean. Some wine and some flavours of wine just shouldn't be made. I tried the pear, apple, and nectarine wines and they all tasted like something I might mix with olive oil and put on a salad.

so many bottles, so much badness

Too Many Hills, Not Enough Cool Stuff

The biggest attraction other than shopping, was the long trek up a seemingly vertical hill to the Jakhoo Temple and a giant statue of Hanuman, one of the Hindu gods I like and have a history with. This was a great two hour activity but I was hoping for more cool treks.

big monkey, little monkey

We took a lot of long walks through the hills and they were indeed peaceful and lovely, but I longed for a bit more. However, if my biggest complaints about a town are bad wine and a little boredom, it was a success.